#Nakkerar

[dr-scribbler]

Thiruvilaiyadal - Part 1

As a movie buff, one of my core memory is seeing old classical Tamil films with my Amma. She made sure I saw all of her favorites and some of the 60s/70s classics.

Every summer holiday is filled with stories of old Tamil Puranas from my Appa and asking all the pieces of information and questions. And my interest in the Tamil language grew as I become older and thanks to all my Thamizh teachers who made the class so interesting with all the Tamil literature at school.

Everyone around me used to ask why I am into Puranas and literature when the modern world is thriving outside, but all I know was that my soul wanted more and more.

One such moment which captured my heart throughout was the movie 'Thiruvilaiyadal'.

Thiruvilaiyadal (Leelas in Sanskrit) is viewed to be one of the 18 thalapuranas. It is also revered as one of the Mahapuranas (Periya Puranam – the right eye of Shiva, Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam – the left eye, and Kanda Purana – the third eye). It was authored by Saint Paranjothi, estimated 300 years ago. It narrates the 64 Tiruvilayadals, loosely translated as the "playful miracles of god (Shiva) himself".

One such Thiruvilaiyadal of the god Siva was with Nakkeranar or Nakkerar. Nakkerar was a Post Sangam Tamil poet who wrote Thirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai.

The below poem is part of Kurunthogai, which was written by Irayyanar( God Shiva himself)

கொங்குதேர் வாழ்க்கை அஞ்சிறைத் தும்பி காமம் செப்பாது கண்டது மொழிமோ பயிலியது கெழீஇய நட்பின் மயிலியல் செறியெயிற் றரிவை கூந்தலின் நறியவும் உளவோ நீயறியும் பூவே Translation: O! Honey bee with beautiful wings, you live drinking nectar from selected flowers, tell me without bias look at my friend who resembles a peacock in beauty have you seen any flower that smells better than her hair?

The story goes as when ShenbagaPandiyan had a doubt regarding the scent of female hair and announced whoever clarify that doubt through poem/the best will be awarded 1000 gold coins. Dharumi was a poor poet who struggles for money went to lord shiva for help, lord Siva came in the guise of a poet and helped him with this poem. The king was happy that it solved his doubt as it says the women have naturally scented hair.

Scene 1: Siva introduces himself as a Tamil poet. Scene 2: Dharumi doubts him and asks God Siva who is in disguise questions to prove his knowledge.

Scene 4: Dharumi apologizes for doubting God's knowledge Scene 5: Dharumi gets the poem from god Siva and goes to present it before Pandya king.

When he was about to be awarded the Nakkerar the head poet of the Tamil Sangam stopped him, saying that the poem had a lot of mistakes, and denied the award and asked Dharumi to improve the poem. Dharumi went to lord shiva and told the same, lord shiva got angry that Nakkeerar found fault in his poem and went to an assembly and challenged Nakkeerar. But Nakkerar was not moved. Shiva asked Nakkerar if even the hair of the goddess did not have a natural hair scent?! Nakkerar asserted that it was so.

Scene 6: God Siva shows his true form by opening his third eye. Scene 7: Nakkerar, now sees who is in front of him, even then he went on to say that a mistake is a mistake.

Shiva opened the third eye and was furious even then Nakkerar stood his ground, this shows his love for Tamil and shows the poet who he was. As he could not bear the scorching heat emanating from the divine eye he jumped into the water of the Golden Lotus Tank. Then at the request of the other poets, the Lord took Nakkeerar out of the tank and forgave him.

And that is how the story ends. Literally, nobody ever played God Siva more perfectly than Sivaji in Tamil cinema. As his name suggests he lived as God Siva. I wish I could able to translate the dialogue portion that happens at this part. But the sweetness and raw poetic Tamil lines could never be done justified during the transition.

I have to thank @themorguepoet for reminding me or taking me back to my memory where I cherish this classic with your post before.

#tamil #kollywood #siva #godsiva #pandiyan #sangam #poet #indian cinema #classic #Sivaji Ganesan #Thiruvilaiyadal #Kurunthogai #literature #love #indian aesthetic #india #hinduism #hindu mythology #Nakkerar #chola #shiva #desi aesthetic #bollywood